


If This Is It

by palateens



Series: OMGCP Valentines 2017 [2]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, Multi, Pining, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations, probably
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-02
Updated: 2017-02-02
Packaged: 2018-09-21 14:46:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9553322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/palateens/pseuds/palateens
Summary: He knows why he’s involved with this shit. He remembers talking to Jack about his ass. But it doesn’t count. This isn’t some temporary crush for his beefed-up captain. This wasn’t his gay awakening or some shit like that.orThe one where Dex does a lot of dumb shit to see the two guys he's in love with happy.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Rarepair Day

The day after Hazeapalooza, Shitty sat the frogs down and gave them the “Samwell Talk”.

“Because sex is somehow different here,” Dex chirped incredulously.

“No this is the ‘your emotions are valid and this happens to everyone’ talk,”  

Thus, Shitty commenced a long discussion about how typical it was for Frogs, of any sport, to develop crushes on their older teammates.

“We’re having this talk because all of you displayed some major crushin’ behavior last night,” Shitty waggles his eyebrows. 

Dex averted his gaze, noticing how Chowder and Nursey were blushing profusely.

“No shame bras, but you should know you have two viable options.” Shitty held up two fingers, motioning to his index finger. “Numero uno, you decide that your feelings—while totally valid—are a phase and let them die out on their own. Numero dos, go talk to that person you have a crush on and hash it out. Not saying you won’t have to get over your feelings anyway. But closure can be nice.”  

“You said this happens to everyone?” Dex questions.

“Chyeah, I had the biggest crush on this guy on my line my Frog year,” Shitty grins with a conspiratory gleam in his eye.  “Sometimes it works out too. Like, the captain from that year is engaged to the goalie before Johnson.”

“What about you Bitty?” Nursey interjects.

Bitty’s face goes crimson, “oh well, I think I liked everyone at one point or another last year. But that was more of me realizing that there were men out there who could return my feelings if I had them. Y’all it’s really ok if your feelings are something you work through on your own. It’s whatever makes you comfortable.”

 Dex thinks about how Nursey was drooling over Holster and how Chowder was trying not to make eye contact with Wicks. He knows why he’s involved with this shit. He remembers talking to Jack about his ass. But it doesn’t count. This isn’t some temporary crush for his beefed-up captain. This wasn’t his gay awakening or some shit that Nursey would probably assume of him (like he always does).

He was in hockey because of Jack Zimmermann.

Will grew up in the middle of nowhere, he’ll be the first to admit that. There wasn’t much to do except sports, work, and weed. He worked to pay for new equipment when his brother’s old stuff started to fall apart. His friends and cousins kept track of the Canadian leagues and USHL like it was their business. He grew up breathing hockey but never had an interest in playing it. Until Jack dropped out of the draft.

He was too young for his parents to let him read Deadspin and the shit they spewed, but his brother passed along rumors. A coke addiction was the most prominent of the theories. His mom, ever the social worker, put a stop to Dylan’s gossiping.

“Even if it was cocaine, kids don’t just fall into addiction. Either he needed help and didn’t know how to ask, or he asked for help and no one listened.”

Her talk was the reason Dex asked a few weeks later to see a therapist. Dex credits Jack with being the reason he got help with his depression. He hadn’t applied to Samwell for Jack. He tells himself that much when he accepts his admission.

Jack in real life was even better than the guy Dex had pieced together in head. He spoke so much just by the way he moved and looked. He was kind and a little short tempered when people weren’t cooperating with him, but who was Will to judge? He could barely get through a conversation without blowing up at Derek. The night before he had been drunk and kneeling right next to his role model, his childhood crush, his captain. So in his drunk mind, he had to seize the opportunity. He thought he was being smooth.

_You know what Jack? I’m just gonna say it. You shoulda gone first in the draft—not Kent Parson. Also, your ass is shockingly large. Like, it is scary._

In retrospect, Dex could’ve been subtler. And being the irritable asshole he is, Dex decides to keep up business as usual. Don’t rock the boat and you won’t get hurt, his uncle used to tell him.

Except, Jack was sort of beyond awesome and the more he got to know him on roadies, the more he wanted to hang out with him always. Jack was a good listener; although Dex wasn’t much for talking, there was this acceptance gleaming in Jack’s eyes that coaxed him to speak. So he talks to Jack about growing up in Maine and being close to Nova Scotia. He talks about missing the colder weather and the uninterrupted view of the stars—away from Boston’s light pollution. He confesses that he thinks coding is beautiful and nuanced; how over the summer he’s going to intern for his mom’s office and redesign their website, and hopefully he’ll get hired after graduation to work for this non-profit that helps homeless teens in Maine.

For his part, Jack opens up slowly. Then next thing he knows, Jack is recounting history lectures and readings. He sends Dex photos he’s proud of taking. And his eyes light up when Dex wants to discuss queer and racial erasure. Of course, by February Dex knows his crush is never going to die down. But he also knows that Jack and Bitty are _it_ for each other. Dex refuses to ruin that for them.   

Bitty dances around Jack like he’s never been seriously interested in anyone before, which Dex knows is possible. Jack skirts around Bitty like he’s ready to jump into his arms or buy a one-way ticket to Mexico. He finds their indecisiveness to be frustrating. But he leaves it alone until after Jack’s signed with the Falconers.

“We’re friends, right?” Dex plops down next to Jack in the reading room one day in late April.

“Of course,” Jack replies softly.

“Why haven’t you asked Bitty out yet?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Jack blushes as he turns away slightly.

Dex snorts, Jack’s accent is too fucking cute for words. He looks over, expecting Jack to flash his “I’m chirping you” grin, but he looks completely baffled. Dex gapes in disbelief. “Really Jack? C’mon, I’m more emotionally constipated than you and I’ve seen it.”

“Seen what?”

“You two like each other,” Will tilts his head towards Jack. “And not to sound like a child but I mean ‘like’ like.”

“Oh, well,” Jack grunts.

“I’m not—” Dex interrupts hesitantly. “I’m not telling you how to live your life. But I see the two of you and I think; the only other time I’ve seen this spark you guys have is with my parents. And they’re about as close as you can get to soulmates.”

Jack is silent for a while. Dex allows him to think. This is why they work well together, Dex thinks. Because they understand what being overstimulated is like. Because people down here move way too fast, and want too much without thinking of the consequences. It’s ok to need time. It’s ok to not be sure.

“You’re right, there isn’t,” Jack murmurs. Dex can only assume he said some of that out loud.

“No pressure, ok?” Dex heads back through Jack’s window. “Just…if anyone deserves to be happy, Jack. It’s you.”

He isn’t entirely sure if Jack listened to his advice until a few weeks into sophomore year. Bitty’s in the kitchen while Dex works on an assignment for his compilers class. He’s gabbing about something Jack said on the phone the other day and—

“Sometimes, that boy is just too much,” Bitty sighs.

Dex looks away from his homework when Eric says that. There’s a softness to his smile that, once again, Will thinks he’s only seen when his Ma talks about his Mom. It clicks in his head, _oh they’re in love._

There’s a dumb, protective part of him that snaps that day. He knew Bitty was important to Jack, but now it’s different. He feels like for Jack’s sake he should be a better friend to Bitty. It’s how he ends up volunteering to help Bitty with pies and extra snacks that he sends down for Jack and the Falconers. He gets to really know Bitty, his likes, dislikes, and tics. He learns to read Bitty’s pies like his moods and to adjust accordingly. Dex fixes the dryer and changes the light bulbs in the Haus and, frankly, starts to lose it over how broken everything is.

Dex knows fixing the Haus for Bitty, and transitively Jack as well, won’t make the ache in his chest go away. If anything, it gets stronger the more he gets to know Bitty who’s so much more creative and expressive than him or Jack. He’ll let Bitty rope him into watching tapes of professional figure skaters and lectures about the physics behind their routines. He likes how he can talk to about being poorer than most of the team.

“Jack’s great but you know he’s rich,” Will points out one afternoon in November as they work on a few chess pies.

“You could tell too huh?” Eric laughs.

“It’s hard to miss,” Dex rolls his eyes.

“How?” Tango, predictably, asks.

“Ok there’s having money and then there’s being rich,” Dex frames with his hands. “People who are rich don’t tend to understand how wealthy they are.”

“It’s no usually a bad thing, unless you’re a Chad.” Bitty bites his lip, “but there are moments when Nursey has to be reminded that we can’t drop money on just anything. Although Shitty isn’t like that.”

“His mom’s a teacher,” Dex reminds him. “I’m pretty sure he was raised more by her than his dad.”

“So what does Jack do?” Tango inquires again.

Dex shrugs, “he doesn’t bring up buying things like Nurse. He just…doesn’t talk about money. He never complains about bills or the price tag of something he wants. He never talked through if he could afford something or not. Money is literally no object to him.”

Bitty nods, “it’s sweet when he’ll do something for the people he cares about. But for him gifts aren’t…anything.”

“He sees his value through actions,” Dex clarifies. “He doesn’t think gifts matter because he doesn’t have to work for them like he does games or personal relationships. There’s nothing for him to sacrifice, achieve or be proud of.”

“Huh,” Bitty gives him this funny glance. “I never thought of it like that.”

Will can feel a blush creeping up his neck. He goes back to latticing the pie crust. It’s not just that Bitty makes Jack happy. Bitty is sharp but kind. He’s the soul of the fucking team as far as Dex was concerned. He kept the Haus warm and secure while Dex made sure it could still stand. Bitty kept the peace and Dex enforced his will (no pun intended). In a lot of ways, they just worked together.

Bitty has a few hard weeks and Dex tries to be there. He makes his own cupcakes when Bitty’s swamped; and he fixes the dryer three times; and he hangs around as much as possible because he’s waiting for Bitty to need a shoulder to cry on. He thinks about texting Jack but that’s invasive, right? He shouldn’t even know they’re dating.  

He’s taking an exam so he misses Shitty coming to watch one of Jack’s games at the Haus. He shows up afterwards to Nursey and Chowder cleaning up a pie on the floor.

“What happened?”

Nursey shrugs, “we were watching some shit bag on ESPN and the next thing we know, Bitty’s dropping a pie.”

“Shit,” Dex drops his backpack and bolts upstairs. He knocks on Bitty’s door hesitantly. No answer. “Bits? It’s Dex. Can I come in?”

“I’m coming,” Bitty calls out shakily. “Don’t mind me I’m just changing my shirt!” His voice is lofty and hollow.

Dex sighs, it isn’t his place to comfort Bitty. And yet, he doesn’t think there should be boundaries on helping people. “Look,” he sighs, “I need you to know that we’re here for you. The team, Jack…even me.”

Bitty pops his head out, eyes red rimmed and shirt still a mess. “Thanks, sugar. You’re a good friend.”

“Hey,” Dex warns half-heartedly. “That’s on a need-to-know basis.”

For that, Bitty offers him the slightest inkling of a smile.

He claps Bitty on the shoulder, trying to be as platonic as possible. It makes him feel awkward. “I’ll be downstairs if you wanna talk.”

Bitty nods, “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Instead of going downstairs, he ducks into Chowder’s room. He takes a few steadying breaths. He knew he was gone for Jack. He never thought to guard himself against Eric Bittle.

“Will you have the worst taste in men,” he chastises himself. “Happily in love with each other.”

 The next day Jack comes up from Providence and they tell the team they’re dating. He should be elated for them. He wants to be supportive and everything that anyone would hope for in a friend. But instead—

“Wow, ok,” he lets slip out; because they were stating the obvious and he has the subtlety of a goose.

Later he approaches them. “Sorry that came out wrong,” he shoves his hands in his pockets. “I meant, you guys are awesome, and I’m so happy that you have each other.”

Bitty hugs him tightly. “You knew, didn’t you?”

“I,” Will stutters. “I had a feeling.”

Jack pushes him lightly. Dex knows what he means. _You’re being too humble._

Dex blushes, “I guess I was hoping after last year, you two would stop pinning after each other.”

Eric laughs, “you are too wonderful. I know you’ll make some girl happy.”

“I’m gay,” Dex corrects him. And he realizes it’s the first time he’s said that aloud outside the comfort of his home. But then again, this is his home now too.

Bitty looks ashamed of himself, “I never meant to—”

“I know I come off as the straightest guy in the room. It’s ok,” he assures.

He stuffs down his emotions as much as he can. Now that the team can be there for Bitty, he doesn’t have to be. It’d be weird and too much now that he can pick from any of his friends for help. Eric doesn’t need Dex trailing after him like a lovesick puppy. He throws himself into classes and fixing the broken appliances.

Now that Jack and Bitty are out to the team, the fines come raking in. When Jack’s around, he hangs back waiting with the Sin Bin. He tries to tell himself it’s for the dryer and the Haus. It’s for the team. It’s _not_ because he’s a masochist that wants to see them happy with each other. The money piles up quickly. He knows logically that Jack will keep coming after the dryer’s been bought. But he thinks that Bitty will be a senior soon and he’ll graduate before Dex can blink. And they’ll both be gone, forever.

He tries not to catch Bitty’s eyes when they’re baking; when Bitty’s half covered in flour and smiling brighter than the sun. He thinks every time he does, he falls a little more in love. And maybe this is what Shitty was talking about, loving the idea of someone rather than the real person. But he’s known Bitty for two years and Jack’s always been kind of there. The idea of them changed, but his feelings grew.

He figures he should bite the bullet at some point and talk to them. Jack beats him to the chase.

“How’ve you been?” He asks one day. He knows Bitty’s at class, that’s why Dex is baking.

Dex shrugs, “alright. It’s quite around here without you and Shitty. I can’t imagine the Haus with Lardo, Ransom and Holster.”

“Do you have dibs yet?”

“No, I might get it but who knows,” Dex shrugs.

“I’m sure you will,” Jack smile easily. He’s been doing that a lot more lately, Dex thinks. “This place looks a lot better than when I first moved in. That’s all you and Bits.”

Dex chuckles mirthlessly, “it’s not much of an improvement.”

“Maybe I’ll buy new appliances over the summer and you can slow down on the fines,” Jack offers.

“Never, I just like pulling your chain.”

Jack frowns, “you’re not fining Bittle.” It’s a statement, not a question.

“Of course not,” Dex snaps. He takes a deep breath, reigning himself in. Jack doesn’t bother him often, but he thought they knew each other better than this. “Don’t you think I hear him calling you every day? He’d be broke if I charged you equally.”

Jack stares at him blankly for a minute. “Can I ask you something?”

“Anything.”

“Why’d you tell me to go after Bits?”

“You deserve to be happy,” Dex answers honestly.

“What about you?”

“Huh?” Will gives himself whiplash turning to gawk at Jack.  

Jack clears his throat. “I guess what I’m asking is…why you don’t…get to be happy?”

“That’s a loaded question if I’ve ever heard one,” Dex volleys.

“Will…”

Dex sighs, “what do you want me to say? I don’t know what you need from me.”

“I need to understand why you had an entire year to say you wanted to be with me,” he pauses to take a deep breath, “but you never did.”

“I can’t answer that,” Will’s gaze is fixed intently on the floor.

“Ok,” Jack concedes. “Can I ask why?”

“Because I don’t know,” Dex punches on each word. “Because I was scared of rejection? Because even after I figured out that you weren't straight, you were half in love with Bitty? Because you deserved someone patient and understanding and what the fuck do I know about that? Fuck, you make it sound like it would’ve been so easy.”

“I don’t know,” Jack admits.

Dex snorts, “you didn’t need to come all the way up here just to retroactively let me down.”

“That’s not why I came,” Jack blurts out. He stands up, crossing the kitchen.

Jack’s inches from his face.

“Then why—”

Jack leans in, capturing Will’s lips with his own. Dex gasps softly, eyes drifting to Jack’s, desperate for an explanation. Jack leans in again, hesitantly. Dex doesn’t stop him. This time, he kisses back. It’s electric, the way they’re colliding and melting in to one another all at once. Jack’s tongue slips into his mouth, and Dex can feel himself pulling them closer together, gripping Jack’s hip tightly. He can’t think straight. If he could, Will is sure he would’ve ran out of the Haus without a second glance. He doesn’t know how long they’re making out when he hears someone clear their throat.

“Good Lord, Mr. Zimmerman,” Bitty’s voice snaps Dex’s mind back into place.

Will breaks them apart, both relieved and horrified that Bitty caught them.

“Did y’all talk before or is this another ‘Zimmermann grand gesture’?” Bitty chirps.

“I am so sorry,” Dex shouts, feeling totally ashamed of himself. 

He sees Jack and Bitty making eye contact. They nod at each other before Jack’s coaxing him to follow them. Suddenly, Will is sitting on Eric’s bed. Jack and Bitty are standing to the side, trying not to crowd him.

“Sweetheart,” Bitty intrudes on the deafening silence of the room, “you know how you babble when you’re drunk.”

“Yes,” Dex mumbles.

“Y’all remember last week’s kegster?”

“Vaguely?” His brows furrow in confusion and worry. God, what had he said this time?

“You kissed me,” Bitty admits with a slight blush.

Dex squawks, “there’s no fucking way I—” the memories come flooding back.

Bitty let him crash on his floor since he was too drunk to walk back himself (and Derek had already abandoned him for some lame after party). When Bitty came back with some water for him, he couldn’t keep his stupid mouth shut.

_You’re too good to me. And so fucking hot._

_Oh hush, you flatterer._

_No ‘m serious. Shouldn’t have told Jack to do it._

_Do what honey?_

_Date you. ‘ts not fair y’know? ‘m in love with both of you and you’re goddamn perfect for each other._

_Dex, I think you’re drunk._

_On love. S’ok really, when you kiss ‘im evy’thin hurts less._

And Bitty had leaned in to hug him, which Dex totally misread because he kissed Bitty and—

“Fuck, I’m sorry. You weren’t supposed to know that. Shit, I…” he sighs. “You weren’t supposed to know.” He repeats as if it'll make everything go away. 

“Well I don’t like that you kept us in the dark for so long,” Bitty admits. “Especially if you were hurting…But I understand why you did it.”

“Bits called me afterwards,” Jack chimes in, sitting down next to Dex. “We talked about it—and you.”

“And…” Will prompts.

Jack’s eyes have this softness to them that he’s only seen a handful of times. They’re usually directed at Bitty. But Jack’s looking at him and Dex feels like his heart has imploded.

“We want to be with you,” Jack whispers firmly.

Dex looks back at Bitty for confirmation.

“You’ve been right there loving us every step of the way,” Bitty squeezes his shoulder. “I’d be lying if I said I’d never considered it. But I didn’t want to force you into something.”

Dex doesn’t think any of this is real. Regardless, he lets himself dream. “Can I kiss you?”

Bitty nods as Dex tentatively reaches out to cup his face. Their kiss is slower, lingering with want and curiosity. It doesn’t feel less passionate to Dex, just different. When they break apart, they’re comfortably resting their foreheads against each other. Jesus, that felt nice.

“You weren’t too bad yourself,” Bitty giggles.

“I’ve got to stop doing that,” Dex mutters.

“It’s cute,” Jack argues.

Dex rolls his eyes, not attempting to suppress his smile. “Can I buy you a coffee?” he addresses them.

They’re looking at him like they normally do each other and part of Dex wants to find a giant plant to hide behind. The other part thinks this feeling spreading through his chest is far better than he anticipated.

“Sure, bud.” “Of course, honey.” They answer him simultaneously.

He laughs as Bitty drags him off the bed and Jack pulls them into a crushing hug. Dex laughs like a version of himself he’s still learning. He likes who he is when he’s around these two. It may not be perfect, but they work. 

**Author's Note:**

> I love Dex too much. I love polyamory too much. I had a dream about the three of them was like 'why haven't we done this before?'. Thanks for reading. 
> 
> Fic title - If This is It by Huey Lewis and the News (shoutout to Dex and Jack's love of old music)
> 
> I'm rarepair, poly trash and accept prompts. [Come say hi on Tumblr.](http://abominableobriens.tumblr.com)


End file.
